JP2005339569A - Electronic apparatus applied to network communication, network communication method of electronic apparatus applied to network communication, and machine-readable recording medium stored with program causing computer to execute the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow potential ability of a network to be sufficiently exerted to minimize human-induced dependence on the network. <P>SOLUTION: A data request is transmitted to a server device 3 on a network NET, according to a data collection instruction received from a terminal device 2 on the network NET for executing TCP/IP communication; a device-specific print operation is executed, based on response data responded from the server device 3; and thus a peripheral apparatus 1 itself executes the series of operations from the data collection to the print operation through communication with the network NET. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device that is applied to network communication that performs network communication in accordance with, for example, a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) protocol, a network communication method of an electronic device that is applied to network communication, and a method thereof to a computer. The present invention relates to a machine-readable recording medium on which a program to be executed is recorded.

  As recent communication means, the Internet that connects LANs (Local Area Networks) to each other over a wide area and an intranet that applies the technology of the Internet to a LAN are widely used. TCP / IP is applied as a communication protocol to the networks found on the Internet and intranets.

  Peripheral devices such as facsimile devices and printer devices connected to the network described above incorporate server software for realizing server functions in the network in addition to software for performing device-specific operations. There is also. In order to perform a specific operation for each peripheral device on the network, an operation is instructed to the peripheral device from another terminal connected to the network.

  Each terminal connected to the above-described network usually incorporates client software called a browser to circulate Internet resources. A user who uses each terminal accesses a required database using this browser.

  In recent years, when a peripheral device has a printing function such as a facsimile device or a printer device, each terminal controls the print output of the required peripheral device only with its own client function without starting a browser. The technique of doing is proposed. Specifically, this proposal is such that each terminal accesses a required peripheral device with a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or the like, and supplies print data to the server function of the peripheral device. At this time, the peripheral device executes print output based on the print data supplied from the terminal by the server function.

  As described above, the peripheral device according to the conventional example is configured to execute a device-specific operation in accordance with a request from each terminal on the network. Therefore, when the user does not directly operate the peripheral device, the user operates the terminal. As long as the terminal does not access the required peripheral device, it is impossible for each peripheral device to execute a device-specific operation. Therefore, since it is necessary to access the peripheral device from the terminal every time even for a peripheral device that operates regularly, the dependency on human operation becomes high and the potential of the network cannot be fully exhibited. there were.

  The present invention eliminates the problems caused by the above-described conventional example, so that the potential of the network can be fully exerted and the electronic communication applied to the network communication capable of minimizing the artificial dependency on the network to the minimum necessary. An object of the present invention is to obtain a device, a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication, and a machine-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute the method.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an electronic device applied to network communication according to the invention of claim 1 is a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission path. Request transmission means for transmitting a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, in an electronic device applied to network communication that is connected to the network and executes an operation specific to the device according to control by the network, and the request Response receiving means for receiving response data corresponding to the data request transmitted by the transmitting means, and control means for controlling the transmission operation by the request transmitting means and the receiving operation by the response receiving means in an integrated manner. It is characterized by that.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to a network in accordance with a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and the transmission operation and the reception operation are integrated and controlled. As a result, peripheral devices will receive data through communication with the network themselves, so that the full potential of the network will be fully demonstrated, and human dependency on the network will be minimized. Is possible.

  The electronic device applied to the network communication according to the invention of claim 2 is connected to a network that performs network communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission path, and the electronic device is controlled by the network. In an electronic device applied to network communication that executes a specific operation, a request transmission unit that transmits a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, and a data request transmitted by the request transmission unit Response receiving means for receiving response data, execution means for executing an operation specific to the device using the response data received by the response receiving means, transmission operation by the request transmitting means, receiving operation by the response receiving means And control means for controlling the execution operation by the execution means in an integrated manner. And wherein the door.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to a network in accordance with a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and an operation specific to the device is performed using the response data. Since the transmission and reception operations and the execution operations are integrated and controlled, the peripheral device performs the device-specific operations using the data received through communication with the network. By doing so, the potential of the network is fully exploited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  An electronic device applied to network communication according to the invention of claim 3 is connected to a network that performs network communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission path, and the electronic device is controlled by the network. In an electronic device applied to network communication that executes a specific operation, a request transmission unit that transmits a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, and a data request transmitted by the request transmission unit Response receiving means for receiving response data, storage means for storing the response data received by the response receiving means while updating each reception, transmission operation by the request transmitting means, receiving operation by the response receiving means, and Control means for controlling the storage operation by the storage means in an integrated manner. And it features.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and the stored data is stored for each reception using the response data. Updates are performed to control these transmission operations, reception operations, and storage operations in a unified manner, so that peripheral devices can change their own operations through communication with the network and update the data they hold. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  The electronic device applied to the network communication according to the invention of claim 4 is connected to a network that performs network communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission path, and the electronic device is controlled by the network. In an electronic device that is applied to network communication that executes a unique operation, the storage device that collects and stores the internal data of the device itself, the data acquired by the operation unique to the device, and the timing at a predetermined timing A data transmission unit that transmits data stored in the storage unit to a network; and a control unit that collectively controls a storage operation by the storage unit and a transmission operation by the data transmission unit. Features.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the internal data of the own device, the data acquired by the operation unique to the own device, and the like are stored, and the stored data is transmitted to the network at a predetermined timing. Since these storage operations and transmission operations are controlled in an integrated manner, peripheral devices themselves supply internal data of their own devices, data acquired by operations specific to their own devices, etc., through communication with the network. As a result, it is not necessary to receive transmission requests from other terminals on the network one by one, so the potential of the network is fully exploited and the human dependence on the network is minimized. Is possible.

  Further, an electronic device applied to network communication according to the invention of claim 5 is connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission line, and the electronic device is controlled according to control by the network. In an electronic device applied to network communication that executes a specific operation, a command receiving unit that receives a data collection command from the network, and a data request is transmitted to the network according to the data collection command received by the command receiving unit A request transmitting unit that performs the predetermined operation based on the response data received by the response receiving unit, and a response receiving unit that receives response data corresponding to the data request transmitted by the request transmitting unit. By execution means and said instruction receiving means Only with operation, the transmission operation by the request transmitting unit, receiving operation by the response receiving means, and characterized in that it and a control unit for generally controlling the execution operation by the execution unit.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with a data collection command received from the network, a predetermined operation is executed based on response data returned from the network, and these receiving operations are performed. Since the transmission operation, the reception operation, and the execution operation are controlled, the peripheral device itself executes a series of operations from data collection to a predetermined operation through communication with the network. The potential of the network is fully exploited, and it is possible to minimize the artificial dependency on the network.

  An electronic device applied to network communication according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the electronic device according to the fifth aspect, further comprising a storage device, wherein the execution means is response data received by the response reception means. Is stored in the storage device.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the received response data is stored in the storage device, the peripheral device performs a series of operations from data collection to data storage and holding through communication with the network. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exploited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the electronic device applied to the network communication according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the execution unit uses the response data received by the response reception unit in the storage unit last time. The stored contents are updated.

  According to the invention of claim 7, since the previous stored contents are updated using the received response data, the peripheral device performs a series of operations from data collection to information update through communication with the network. As a result, the latest information can always be prepared on the network, so that the potential of the network can be fully exploited and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  An electronic device applied to network communication according to the invention of claim 8 is the electronic device according to claim 6 or 7, further responding to response data stored in the storage device in response to a request from the network. Response transmission means for transmitting is provided, and the control means controls response transmission operation by the response transmission means.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the response data that has already been stored is transmitted in response to a request from the network, the peripheral device itself performs a series of processes from data collection to data transmission through communication with the network. Will be able to provide information on the network at any time, so that the full potential of the network can be fully exploited and human dependency on the network can be minimized. .

  An electronic device applied to network communication according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the electronic device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the execution means responds to the response data received by the response reception means as the predetermined operation. Based on the above, an operation specific to the device is executed.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the device-specific operation is executed based on the received response data, the peripheral device itself performs a series of operations from data collection to device-specific operation through communication with the network. In this way, the potential of the network is fully exploited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the electronic device applied to the network communication according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the fifth aspect, the execution means performs the response data received by the response reception means as the predetermined operation. Is notified to the transmission source on the network when the command is accepted by the command accepting means.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the received response data is notified to the data collection request source, the peripheral device itself performs a series of processes from data collection to notification to the transmission source through communication with the network. In this way, the potential of the network is fully exploited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  The electronic device applied to the network communication according to the invention of claim 11 is the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the electronic device is a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, It is a peripheral device such as a scanner device.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, by applying peripheral devices such as a printer device, a copying device, a facsimile device, and a scanner device to an electronic device, the operation capability of the peripheral device that can execute only operations unique to the device itself is improved. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the load on other terminals.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication, wherein a plurality of devices are connected to a transmission line and connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. In a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that executes an operation specific to its own device according to control, a request transmission step of transmitting a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, and the request transmission step A response receiving step of receiving response data corresponding to the transmitted data request.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, since the data request is transmitted according to a command prepared in advance to the network and the response data corresponding to the data request is received, the peripheral device itself communicates with the network. Data is received through the network, and the potential of the network is fully exploited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication, wherein a plurality of devices are connected to a transmission line and connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. In a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that executes an operation specific to its own device according to control, a request transmission step of transmitting a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, and the request transmission step A response receiving step of receiving response data corresponding to the transmitted data request; and an execution step of executing an operation specific to the device using the response data received by the response receiving step. To do.

  According to the invention of claim 13, a data request is transmitted in accordance with a command prepared in advance to the network, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and an operation specific to the own device is performed using the response data. Since the process is executed, the peripheral device will perform the operation specific to the device by using the data received through communication with the network. It is possible to minimize the degree of dependence.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network communication method for an electronic device applied to network communication, wherein a plurality of devices are connected to a transmission line and connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. In a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that executes an operation specific to its own device according to control, a request transmission step of transmitting a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network, and the request transmission step A response receiving step for receiving response data in response to the transmitted data request; and a storage step for storing the data while visiting each time using the response data received by the response receiving step. To do.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to a network according to a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and the stored contents are stored for each reception using the response data. Since the update process is performed, the peripheral device itself changes its own operation through communication with the network and updates the stored data, thereby fully exploiting the network's potential. It is possible to minimize the artificial dependency on the network.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network communication method for an electronic device applied to network communication, wherein a plurality of devices are connected to a transmission line and connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. In a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that executes an operation unique to the own device according to control, a memory prepared in advance by collecting internal data of the own device, data acquired by an operation unique to the own device, etc. And a data transmission step of transmitting data stored in the memory by the storage step to the network at a predetermined timing.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the internal data of the own device, the data acquired by the operation unique to the own device, and the like are stored, and the stored data is transmitted to the network at a predetermined timing. Because the process is in progress, the peripheral device itself supplies the internal data of the device itself, data acquired by the operation unique to the device, etc. to the network side through communication with the network. Since it is not necessary to receive transmission requests one by one, the potential of the network is fully demonstrated, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network communication method for an electronic device applied to network communication, wherein a plurality of devices are connected to a transmission line and connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol. In a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that executes an operation unique to its own device according to control, a command receiving step for receiving a data collection command from the network, and the data collection command received by the command receiving step Based on the request transmission step of transmitting a data request to the network, the response reception step of receiving response data corresponding to the data request transmitted by the request transmission step, and the response data received by the response reception step Pre-determined actions Characterized in that it includes a running step of rows, the.

  According to the invention of claim 16, since the data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with the data collection command received from the network, and a predetermined operation is performed based on the response data returned from the network. Peripheral devices will perform a series of operations from data collection to predetermined operations through communication with the network, and this will fully exploit the potential of the network, and artificial dependency on the network. Can be minimized.

  The electronic device network communication method applied to the network communication according to claim 17 is the electronic device network communication method according to claim 16, wherein the execution step is prepared in advance with the response data received in the response reception step. A storage step of storing in the memory.

  According to the invention of claim 17, since the step of storing the received response data in the storage device is included, the peripheral device executes a series of operations from data collection to data storage and holding through communication with the network. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  The electronic device network communication method applied to the network communication according to the invention of claim 18 is the electronic device network communication method according to claim 17, wherein the execution step uses the response data received by the response receiving means. The step of updating the content stored in the memory last time by the storing step is included.

  According to the eighteenth aspect of the invention, since the step of updating the previous stored contents using the received response data is included, a series of operations from data collection to information update through communication with the peripheral device itself is performed. Will be able to keep up-to-date with the latest information on the network, so that the full potential of the network can be fully demonstrated and the human dependency on the network can be minimized. .

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device network communication method applied to the network communication according to the seventeenth or eighteenth aspect, wherein the response data stored in the memory is used as a request from the network. A response transmission step of transmitting a response in response is included.

  According to the invention of claim 19, since the step of transmitting response data that has already been stored in response to a request from the network is included, the peripheral device itself performs data communication to data transmission through communication with the network. A series of operations will be performed, and information can be provided on the network at any time, so that the full potential of the network can be fully demonstrated and the human dependency on the network can be minimized. is there.

  An electronic device network communication method applied to network communication according to a twentieth aspect of the present invention is the electronic device network communication method according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the execution step is received as the predetermined operation by the response reception step. Based on the response data, an operation specific to the device is executed.

  According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, since the device-specific operation is included based on the received response data, the peripheral device itself performs a series of operations from data collection to device-specific operation through communication with the network. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  The electronic device network communication method applied to network communication according to the invention of claim 21 is the electronic device network communication method according to claim 16, wherein the execution step is received by the response reception step as the predetermined operation. The received response data is notified to the transmission source on the network when received by the command receiving step.

  According to the twenty-first aspect of the invention, since the step of notifying the received response data to the data collection request source is included, a series of steps from data collection to notification to the transmission source through the communication of the peripheral device with the network itself is included. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  Further, the recording medium according to the invention of claim 22 records a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, so that the program can be read by a machine. Thus, the operations of claims 12 to 21 can be realized by a computer.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted according to a command prepared in advance for the network, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and these transmission operations and reception operations are performed. Since the peripheral device receives data through communication with the network, the network's potential is fully exploited, and an artificial dependency on the network is required. There is an effect that an electronic device applied to network communication that can be minimized is obtained.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to a network according to a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and operation unique to the own device is performed using the response data. Since the transmission operation, the reception operation, and the execution operation are controlled in an integrated manner, the peripheral device performs the device-specific operation using the data received through communication with the network. As a result, the potential of the network is fully exhibited, and an electronic device that is applied to network communication capable of minimizing the artificial dependency on the network is obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with a command prepared in advance, the response data corresponding to the data request is received, and the stored content is stored for each reception using the response data. In order to control these transmission operations, reception operations, and storage operations in an integrated manner, peripheral devices can change their own operations through communication with the network or store data that they hold. As a result, it is possible to obtain an electronic device that can be applied to network communication that can fully exploit the potential of the network and minimize the human dependency on the network. Play.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the internal data of the own device, the data acquired by the operation unique to the own device, etc. are stored, and the stored data is transmitted to the network at a predetermined timing. Since these storage and transmission operations are centrally controlled, the peripheral device itself supplies the internal data of the device itself, data acquired by operations unique to the device, etc. to the network side through communication with the network. As a result, it is not necessary to receive transmission requests from other terminals on the network one by one, so the potential of the network is fully exploited and the artificial dependence on the network is minimized. An electronic device that can be applied to network communication is obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 5, a data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with a data collection command received from the network, a predetermined operation is executed based on response data returned from the network, and these receiving operations are performed. Since the transmission operation, the reception operation, and the execution operation are controlled, the peripheral device itself performs a series of operations from data collection to a predetermined operation through communication with the network. There is an effect that an electronic device applied to network communication can be obtained in which the potential of the network is fully exhibited and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  According to the invention of claim 6, in the invention of claim 5, since the received response data is stored in the storage device, the peripheral device itself collects data from data collection through communication with the network. This is applied to network communications that can fully exploit the network's potential and minimize human dependency on the network. There is an effect that an electronic device can be obtained.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 7, in the invention of claim 6, since the previous stored content is updated using the received response data, the peripheral device collects data through communication with the network itself. A series of operations from update to information update will be executed, so that the latest information can always be prepared on the network, so that the full potential of the network can be fully demonstrated and human dependency on the network can be minimized. There is an effect that an electronic device applied to network communication that can be suppressed to the limit can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 8, in the invention of claim 6 or 7, since the response data that has already been stored is sent in response to a request from the network, the peripheral device is connected to the network by itself. Through this communication, a series of operations from data collection to data transmission will be executed, and information can be provided on the network at any time, so that the full potential of the network is fully demonstrated, and the human dependency on the network As a result, it is possible to obtain an electronic device that can be applied to network communication that can minimize the above-mentioned requirement.

  According to the invention of claim 9, in the invention of claim 5, since the device-specific operation is executed based on the received response data, the peripheral device collects data through its own communication with the network. Network communication that can fully exploit the network's potential and minimize human dependency on the network. There is an effect that an electronic device applied to the above can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 10, in the invention of claim 5, the received response data is notified to the data collection request source, so that the peripheral device starts collecting data through communication with the network. Network communication that can perform a series of operations up to notification to the sender, thereby fully exploiting the potential of the network and minimizing human dependency on the network. There is an effect that an electronic device applied to the above can be obtained.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, peripheral devices such as a printer device, a copying device, a facsimile device, and a scanner device are applied to an electronic device. Thus, there is an effect that the operation capability of the peripheral device that can execute only the operation unique to the device itself is improved, and an electronic device applied to network communication that can reduce the load on other terminals can be obtained.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the data request is transmitted according to a command prepared in advance to the network and the response data corresponding to the data request is received, the peripheral device itself communicates with the network. A network of electronic devices applied to network communications that will receive data through communication, thereby making full use of the network's potential and minimizing human dependency on the network. There is an effect that a communication method is obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 13, a data request is transmitted to a network according to a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and an operation specific to the own device is performed using the response data. As a result, the peripheral device performs its own operation using data received through communication with the network, thereby fully exploiting the network's potential. It is possible to obtain a network communication method for an electronic device applied to network communication that can minimize the necessary dependence.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, a data request is transmitted to a network according to a command prepared in advance, response data corresponding to the data request is received, and stored contents are stored for each reception using the response data. As a result, the peripheral device will change its own operation through communication with the network and update the data it holds, thereby fully exploiting the network's potential. Thus, there is an effect that a network communication method of an electronic device that can be applied to network communication that can suppress the artificial dependency on the network to a necessary minimum can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 15, the internal data of the own device, the data acquired by the operation unique to the own device, etc. are stored, and the stored data is transmitted to the network at a predetermined timing. Because the peripheral device itself communicates with the network, the peripheral device supplies the internal data of the device itself, data acquired by the operation unique to the device, etc. to the network side. Since it is not necessary to receive a transmission request from the terminal one by one, the potential of the network is fully demonstrated, and the electronic equipment applied to network communication that can minimize the artificial dependency on the network is necessary There is an effect that a network communication method can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 16, since the data request is transmitted to the network in accordance with the data collection command received from the network, the predetermined operation is executed based on the response data returned from the network. Peripheral devices themselves will perform a series of operations from data collection to predetermined operations through communication with the network, thereby making full use of the network's potential and artificial dependence on the network. There is an effect that a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication capable of suppressing the degree to the minimum necessary can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 17, in the invention of claim 16, the step of storing the received response data in the storage device is included, so that the peripheral device can collect the data from the data collection through communication with the network by itself. A series of operations up to memory retention will be executed, and this will be applied to network communications that can fully exploit the network's potential and minimize the number of artificial dependencies on the network. There is an effect that a network communication method for electronic devices can be obtained.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 18, in the invention of claim 17, since the step of updating the previous stored contents using the received response data is included, the peripheral device itself performs data communication through communication with the network. A series of operations from collection to information update will be executed, so that the latest information can always be prepared on the network, so that the full potential of the network can be fully demonstrated and human dependency on the network is required. There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication that can be minimized.

  According to the invention of claim 19, in the invention of claim 17 or 18, the step of transmitting response data already stored in response to a request from the network is included. A series of operations from data collection to data transmission is performed through communication with the network, so that information can be provided on the network at any time, so that the full potential of the network is fully demonstrated and human dependence on the network is achieved. There is an effect that a network communication method of an electronic device applied to network communication capable of suppressing the degree to the minimum necessary can be obtained.

  According to the twentieth aspect of the invention, in the invention of the sixteenth aspect, since a step of executing an operation specific to the device based on the received response data is included, the peripheral device performs data communication through communication with the network. A network that can perform a series of operations from collection to device-specific operations, thereby fully exploiting the potential of the network and minimizing human dependency on the network. There is an effect that a network communication method of an electronic device applied to communication can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 21, in the invention of claim 16, since the step of notifying the received response data to the data collection request source is included, the peripheral device collects data through communication with the network by itself. A network that can fully exploit the potential of the network and minimize human dependency on the network. There is an effect that a network communication method of an electronic device applied to communication can be obtained.

  Further, the recording medium according to the invention of claim 22 records a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21, so that the program can be read by a machine. Thus, the operations of claims 12 to 21 can be realized by a computer.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the embodiments described below, an electronic device that is connected to a network that uses the TCP / IP protocol and executes a device-specific operation, that is, a peripheral device of the network will be described as an example.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network communication system to which peripheral devices according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention are applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the network communication system has a configuration in which a peripheral device 1, a terminal device 2, a server device 3, and the like are connected to a TCP / IP communication network (hereinafter referred to as a network) NET. Actually, a plurality of peripheral devices, terminal devices, and server devices are all connected, but for simplicity of description, only representative devices are shown.

  The peripheral device 1 is an electronic device such as a printer device, a copying device, or a facsimile device connected to the network NET via a transmission line LN1, and has a printing function as an operation unique to the own device. That is, the peripheral device 1 has a printing unit 12, and controls the printing unit 12 to realize a printing function.

  The peripheral device 1 has a client control unit 11 as a typical configuration, and the client control unit 11 realizes a client function on the network NET in addition to a printing function unique to the device. Here, for simplification of explanation, illustration of a known server control unit and detailed description thereof are omitted, and normally a server control unit (not shown) in the peripheral device 1 is responsible for communication with the terminal device 2. However, for simplification of description, it is assumed that the communication is performed in the client control unit 11 below.

  The client control unit 11 accepts an operation command (for example, a print command) requested from the network NET by a server control unit (not shown), and in accordance with an instruction through the server control unit, a target server device (for example, the server device 3). ), And control for receiving required data from the server device, and controlling the data reception operation to link the printing function specific to the device itself and print out based on the received data.

  The terminal device 2 is an electronic device such as a personal computer connected to the network NET via the transmission line LN2, and uses a browser function (a WWW (World Wide Web) browser is taken as an example) that is prepared in advance. The data in a language such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) specified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which is one of access information on the WWW server is browsed.

  The terminal device 2 includes, as a typical configuration, a browser control unit 21 for realizing a browser function including an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) client function, and an operation unit 22 having keys and a display. The browser control unit 21 activates the browser function in accordance with the operation of the operation unit 22 to realize database resource collection and printing for the peripheral device 1.

  In the terminal device 2, in addition to the normal print command for the peripheral device 1, the browser device (or HTTP client function) causes the peripheral device 1 to collect database resources on the network NET, and the collected database resources. An operation command for printing (such as an HTML file) can be issued. In this case, the terminal device 2 only needs to pass access information (for example, URL) as an operation command to the peripheral device 1.

  The server device 3 is an electronic device that is connected to the network NET via a transmission line LN3 and stores database resources. The server device 3 supplies database resources requested from the network NET using a server function (for example, a WWW server) prepared in advance.

  As a typical configuration, the server device 3 includes a server control unit 31 for realizing a server function and a database 32 that stores database resources. The server control unit 31 activates the server function in accordance with a request from the network NET, and executes a database resource search for the database 32 and a database resource response transmission extracted according to the response.

  The server device 3 may receive a data request from the peripheral device 1, but may be handled in the same manner as in the case of receiving a data request according to a normal client function. That is, in the network communication system according to the first embodiment, the server device 3 only needs to have a known server function.

  Next, the peripheral device 1 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the peripheral device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral device 1 includes a client control unit 11, a printing unit 12, a command reception unit 13, a data request transmission unit 14, a response data reception unit 15, a data storage unit 16, an operation execution unit 17, and an interface. I / F18 etc. are provided.

  The client control unit 11 has a program memory 11a that stores a client program for performing a client function, and controls data collection and printing through communication with the network NET in accordance with the client program. In the print control, the operation of the printing unit 12 is controlled through communication with an operation execution unit 17 described later.

  The printing unit 12 is connected to the operation execution unit 17 and executes print processing according to the control of the operation execution unit 17. The command receiving unit 13 is connected to the interface I / F 18 and the client control unit 11 and receives an operation command requested from the network NET (which is the terminal device 2 in the first embodiment) via the interface I / F 18. To the client control unit 11. The operation command in this case indicates a command for executing a series of operations of data collection and printing as the peripheral device 1 itself becomes a client.

  The data request transmission unit 14 is connected to the interface I / F 18 and the client control unit 11, and responds to a data collection request from the client control unit 11 via the interface I / F 18 (in this embodiment, a server device). 3) to send a data request.

  The response data receiving unit 15 is connected to the interface I / F 18 and the client control unit 11, and receives response data returned from the network NET (which is the server device 3 in the first embodiment) via the interface I / F 18. Receive and send to the client control unit 11.

  The data storage unit 16 is a storage device such as a disk that stores data to be printed under the control of an operation execution unit 17 described later. Specifically, what is stored in the data storage unit 16 is response data (for example, an HTML file) from the server device 3.

  The operation execution unit 17 includes a program memory 17a that stores an operation program for performing a printing operation unique to the machine and controls the printing operation through communication with the client control unit 11 in accordance with the operation program.

  The response data received from the server device 3 may be temporarily stored in the data storage unit 16 in accordance with the printing procedure, the wait state of the printing unit 12, and the like. In this case, the operation execution unit 17 itself is responsible for storing the response data in the data storage unit 16, and the data to be printed from the data storage unit 16 when the printing unit 12 can perform the printing operation. Is transferred to the printing unit 12 for print control.

  Next, a data format for communication between the terminal device 2 and the peripheral device 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format of an operation instruction according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the format of the operation command information INF includes a print command PRNT based on HTTP, client information CURL serving as a locator of a peripheral device that provides the print command PRNT, and an HTML file locator for a required server device. Server information SURL and terminal information TRM for specifying a source terminal that requests a print command on the network NET.

  Next, a data storage method in the peripheral device 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the data storage unit 16 according to the first embodiment. The data storage unit 16 stores terminal information TRM, printing status (completed or not yet), and response data RES corresponding to the server information SURL.

  In this data storage unit 16, the server status is “SURL1”, the terminal information is “TRM1”, the response data is “RES1”, the printing status is “completed”, indicating that the process up to printing has already been completed. . When the server information is “SURL2” and the terminal information is “TRM2”, the response data RES has not been received yet, and therefore the printing status is “not yet”. This printing status “uncompleted” indicates that the process up to printing is currently incomplete.

  Next, the operation of the terminal device 2 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation command transmission operation by the terminal device 2 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a transition example of the display screen when the operation command is set according to the first embodiment. The process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is stored as a program in the memory of the browser control unit 21.

  When the operation command transmission operation is started in the terminal device 2, first, an input screen for transmitting the operation command is displayed on the display of the operation unit 22 (step S1). In this case, as shown in FIG. 6A, the processing is in the print mode on the terminal device 2, and the client information and server information input fields 22a and 22b are displayed and set as input items. In the first embodiment, since only the peripheral device 1 has a printing function, “CURL1” registered in advance in the client information is input and displayed in the input field 22a. The client information refers to the URL of the device that actually performs data collection, that is, the peripheral device 1, and the server information refers to the URL corresponding to the data stored in the server device 3.

  Further, as a support for setting server information, a search list field 22c is displayed on the display. In the search list column 22c, a search list in which the contents of the HTML file are associated with the server information SURL is displayed (step S2).

  While this list is being displayed, the list can be scrolled or page-turned by a cursor (not shown) by key operation of the operation unit 22. In order to confirm the desired server information SURL, the user may select the server information SURL by operating the operation unit 22. For example, when the server information “SURL2” is selected, the browser control unit 21 confirms “SURL2” by the selection operation, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the server information input field 22b. "SURL2" is input and displayed on (step S3).

  As described above, when the client information “CURL1” and the server information “SURL2” are determined in step S3, the operation command information INF is created based on the client information “CURL1” and the server information “SURL2” (step S4). ). Specifically, the operation command information INF is transmission data having a format as shown in FIG.

  Therefore, in this creation, in addition to the client information and the server information, terminal information “TRM1” for specifying the self-registered terminal (in this case, the terminal information is “TRM1”) and the print command “PRNT” And are used.

  When the creation of the operation command information INF is completed in step S4, the required peripheral device 1 (client information is “CURL1”) is accessed, and the operation command information INF is transmitted (step S5). The transmitted operation command information INF is received by the client control unit 11 of the peripheral device 1.

  In step S2 to step S3 described above, server information is input by list display. However, the user may input server information directly by key operation.

  Next, the operation of the peripheral device 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the client operation of the peripheral device 1 according to the first embodiment. 7 is controlled by a program stored in the program memory 11a of the client control unit 11 and a program stored in the program memory 17a of the operation execution unit 17. The client control unit 11 and the operation execution unit 17 control the entire processing, and each operation is performed by each unit.

  In the peripheral device 1, when the operation command information INF is received by access from the terminal device 2, the command receiving unit 13 receives the command (step S11). The client control unit 11 analyzes the received operation command information INF (step S12), and interprets a client operation start command, that is, a data request, from the print command PRNT set at the head (step S13). If it is not a data request, other processing is performed according to the interpreted instruction. Here, in accordance with the description of FIG. 3, the operation command information INF is assumed to be a print command “PRNT”, client information “CURL1”, server information “SURL2”, and terminal information “TRM1” as operation commands.

  When the data request is found in step S13, first, the data request is transmitted to the server apparatus 3 as the transmission destination (step S14). That is, the server information “SURL2” included in the received operation command information INF is given to the server control unit 31 of the server device 3. In this case, the server control unit 31 searches the database 32 based on the server information “SURL2”, and acquires a required HTML file or the like by a response from the database 32.

  However, depending on the communication status of the network NET, it is not always possible to access the server device 3 at one time. When the connection fails in this way, the access operation is performed up to a predetermined number of times at a fixed time interval. Will be retried.

  This HTML file is transmitted as response data to the peripheral device 1 by the server control of the server control unit 31. As a result, in the peripheral device 1, the response data is received by the response data receiving unit 15 and passed to the client control unit 11. The client control unit 11 prints the received response data through the operation execution unit 17 if it can be printed immediately, but stores it in the temporary data storage unit 16 if it is currently in the print wait state (step S15).

  If the print wait is canceled or the print operation is immediately started upon reception, the print processing based on the response data is started under the control of the operation execution unit 17 (step S16). The printing process according to the control of the operation execution unit 17 is an operation unique to the own device. According to the first embodiment, the operation execution unit 17 cooperates with the client control unit 11 to perform a series of processes from data collection to printing. Operation will be realized.

  It should be noted that this series of operation states (during printing, printing end, etc.) is continuously displayed as an example during the printing mode shown in FIG. 6, and the display is also ended after printing is completed. Note that this series of operating conditions may not be displayed according to the specification, or may be selectively set to display / non-display.

  In the above description, an HTTP print operation for performing communication such as HTML, PDF, DVI, plain text, and postscript is taken as an example. However, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or mail for performing only file transfer is described. By applying SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for transferring, the client program and the operation program of the peripheral device 1 can be updated.

  The operation execution unit 17 can control printing and program change, which are operations unique to the own device in the case of HTTP and SMTP, and can control printing and program change even in the case of FTP.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, a data request is transmitted to the server device 3 (network NET) according to the operation execution command (data collection command) received from the terminal device 2 (network NET), and the server A printing operation (predetermined operation) is executed based on response data returned from the device 3 (network NET), and the reception operation, transmission operation, reception operation, and execution operation are performed by the client control unit 11 and the operation execution unit 17. Therefore, the peripheral device 1 itself performs a series of operations from data collection to printing operation (predetermined operation) through communication with the network NET.

  That is, in the first embodiment, the peripheral device 2 actively collects data from the network NET by itself through the client control unit 11 and executes the operation unique to the own device. On the other hand, not only the data collection operation only when the command is passed, but once the command is received, the data collection operation is executed independently of the terminal device 1 thereafter.

  As a result, the potential of the network NET using the TCP / IP protocol is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network NET can be minimized. In particular, once an operation command is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the peripheral device 1, it is automatically retried until the command is achieved, so that the user only has to wait for the print result, which occurs on the network NET. It is freed from repeated operations associated with easy connection failures.

  In addition, since the received response data is stored in the data storage unit 16 (storage device), the peripheral device itself collects data from data collection through communication with the network and holds the data (in this case, until the print weight is released). It is possible to execute a series of operations up to. Further, since the device-specific printing operation is executed based on the received response data, the peripheral device 1 executes a series of operations from data collection to device-specific printing operation through communication with the network NET. It is possible.

  Further, the type of the peripheral device 1 is not limited to a printer device, a copying device, and a facsimile device having a printing function, and a peripheral device such as a scanner device may be applied. The operating capability of the peripheral device is improved, and the load on other terminals can be reduced accordingly.

  In the first embodiment described above, direct printing is performed. However, the user of the terminal device 2 may perform a print preview once before printing, and wasteful printing can be reduced through this preview. Is possible. The realization of the preview may be incorporated during the processing of the print mode described above.

  The peripheral device 1 may automatically print data obtained from outside various information, notifications, etc. on the network NET by an operation specific to the device itself.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment described above, the peripheral device performs data collection and printing through communication with the network in response to a request from the terminal device. As described above, the peripheral device may be configured to be able to transmit the data stored by effectively utilizing the server function in response to a request from the network. Since the printing function is the same as that of the first embodiment, the illustration and description of the printing unit are omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a network communication system to which peripheral devices according to the second embodiment of the present invention are applied. As shown in FIG. 8, the network communication system has a configuration in which the peripheral device 4, the terminal device 5, the server device 3 similar to the first embodiment, and the like are connected to the network NET similar to the first embodiment. . Actually, a plurality of peripheral devices, terminal devices, and server devices are all connected, but for simplicity of description, only representative devices are shown.

  The peripheral device 4 is an electronic device such as a printer device, a copying device, or a facsimile device connected to the network NET via a transmission line LN4, and has a printing function as an operation unique to the own device.

  The peripheral device 4 includes a client control unit 41, a data storage unit 42, and a server control unit 43 as a typical configuration. As typical functions, in addition to the printing function unique to the device, the client control unit 41 implements a client function on the network NET, or the data storage unit 42 collects data from an external server device (for example, the server device 3). Data such as HTML files, program files, and mail files are updated, or data stored in the data storage unit 42 is updated by the server control unit 43 in response to a request from an external client device (for example, the terminal device 5). Send.

  Specifically, the client control unit 41 performs a target server device (for example, the server device 3) according to an operation command (a command that requires data collection including a print command, an update command, a data request, etc.) requested from the network NET. ), And the received data is linked to the control function for receiving the required data from the server device and the printing function, update function, or response transmission function according to the data request specific to the device. Controls for print output, data update, or data transmission based on this.

  In addition, the server control unit 43 retrieves necessary data from the data storage unit 42 in accordance with an operation command (such as a data request) requested from the network NET (for example, the terminal device 5), and uses the data acquired by the response as response data. It controls the response transmission to the network NET (for example, the terminal device 5).

  The terminal device 5 is an electronic device such as a personal computer connected to the network NET via the transmission line LN5. The terminal device 5 has the function of the terminal device 2 described in the first embodiment, and the peripheral device 4 as a client. To make a request for updating required data or a data request stored in the peripheral device 4.

  As in the first embodiment, the terminal device 5 includes a browser control unit 51 for realizing a browser function including an HTTP client function and an operation unit 52 having a key and a display as a typical configuration. ing. The browser control unit 51 activates the browser function according to the operation of the operation unit 52, and realizes collection and printing of database resources to the peripheral device 4 as in the first embodiment, or the terminal device to the peripheral device 4. The response data is updated or transmitted in response to the data update request 5 or the data request.

  Next, the peripheral device 4 will be described in detail. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a peripheral device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the peripheral device 4 includes a client control unit 41, a data storage unit 42, a server control unit 43, a command reception unit 44, a transmission unit 45, a response data reception unit 46, an operation execution unit 47, and an interface I. / F48 etc. Although not shown, it is assumed that the printing unit 12 is provided in the same manner as the peripheral device 1 described above.

  The client control unit 41 includes a program memory 41a that stores a client program for performing a client function, and controls data collection and printing or updating through communication with the network NET in accordance with the client program. In the print control, the operation of the printing unit 12 is controlled through communication with an operation execution unit 47 described later.

  The server control unit 43 has a program memory 43a that stores a server program for performing a server function, and controls data transmission through communication with the network NET in accordance with the server program. In this data transmission, the data storage unit 42 becomes a database and the data is searched by the operation execution unit 47. This server control unit 43 and the above-described client control unit 41 are communicably connected, and when the server control unit 43 controls response transmission in response to a data request, a required data file does not exist and an external When the server apparatus requires a data request, the client control unit 41 is requested to cooperate with the data request, and the data request to the client control unit 41 is also made for a set request of periodic notification and update. Request for cooperation.

  The command receiving unit 44 is connected to the interface I / F 48, the client control unit 41, and the server control unit 43, and is requested from the network NET (which is the terminal device 5 in the second embodiment) via the interface I / F 48. Operation command (data collection and printing, data collection and update, or data collection and data transmission) is received and sent to the client control unit 41. The operation command in this case refers to a command for executing a series of operations of data collection and printing, data collection and update, or data collection and data transmission as the peripheral device 4 itself becomes a client.

  The transmission unit 45 is connected to the interface I / F 48, the client control unit 41, and the server control unit 43, and in response to a data collection request from the client control unit 41, the network NET (this embodiment) 2 is the server device 3), or in response to the data request from the server control unit 43, the network NET (which is the terminal device 5 in the second embodiment) via the interface I / F 48. Send response data.

  The response data receiving unit 46 is connected to the interface I / F 48 and the client control unit 41, and receives response data returned from the network NET (which is the server device 3 in the second embodiment) via the interface I / F 48. Receive and send to client control unit 41.

  The data storage unit 42 is a storage device such as a disk that collectively stores and manages data to be printed, updated, or transmitted under the control of an operation execution unit 47 described later. Specifically, what is stored in the data storage unit 42 is response data (for example, an HTML file) from the server device 3.

  The operation execution unit 47 stores an operation program for performing a printing operation unique to the machine, an operation program for performing data read operation from the data storage unit 42 for data update and data transmission of the data storage unit 42. A program memory 47a is provided, and the printing operation, the updating operation, or the transmission operation is controlled through communication with the client control unit 41 according to the operation program.

  Next, a data format for communication between the terminal device 5 and the peripheral device 4 will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a format of an operation instruction according to the second embodiment. There are a plurality of types of operation command information formats. In addition to the above-described print command, operation command information INFA (see FIG. 10A) representing an update command and operation command information INFB (see FIG. 10B) representing a data request. ) And

  First, as shown in FIG. 10A, the operation command information INFA includes an update command UPDT, client information CURL serving as a locator of a peripheral device that provides the update command UPDT, and an HTML file locator for a required server device. Server information SURL, terminal information TRM for specifying a source terminal requesting an update command UPDT on the network NET, and data management information MNG for data management of the data storage unit 42. In this update command, the data management information MNG is only required to be updated for simplification of explanation, but the update timing may be arbitrarily defined.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, the operation command information INFB includes a data request RQST, server information SURLA serving as a locator of the peripheral device that provides the data request RQST, and an HTML file locator for the required server device. Server information SURLB, terminal information TRM for specifying the source terminal that requests the data request RQST on the network NET, and data management information MNG for data management of the data storage unit 42 . In this data request, the data management information MNG defines only one periodic notification timing for the sake of simplicity of explanation, but it may also arbitrarily define a plurality of periodic notification timings.

  As described above, in the peripheral device 4, when there is an update request from the terminal device 5, the client function (client control unit 41) is accessed via the server control unit 43 by the operation command information INFA, while the terminal device 5, when there is a data request, the client control unit 41 is accessed via the server function (server control unit 43) by the operation command information INFB.

  Next, a data storage method in the peripheral device 4 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents stored in the data storage unit 42 according to the second embodiment. The data storage unit 42 corresponds to the server information SURL, the client information CURL of the own device, the terminal information TRM (including user data when the user authentication function is installed), and the necessity of updating (necessary or No) Periodic notification (required (time) or not), which is data management information, and response data RES are stored. The description of the printing status (completed or not) described in the first embodiment is omitted.

  In this data storage unit 42, whether or not the server information is “SURL1”, the terminal information is “TRM1”, and the response data is “RES1” needs to be updated is “necessary”. ) Indicates that the latest data is acquired. Whether or not this update is necessary can be defined by the operation command information INFA. Furthermore, here, the periodic notification is “necessary” and the time is “10:00 AM”, so that the latest data is transmitted (response transmission) to the terminal device 5 using the server function every day at 10:00 am. Is shown. This periodic notification can be defined by the operation command information INFB described above. In addition, since the server information is “SURL2”, the terminal information is “TRM2”, the necessity of updating is “No” and the periodic notification is “No”, indicating that the terminal device 5 immediately responds to the data request. Yes.

  Next, the operation of the terminal device 5 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation command transmission operation performed by the terminal device 5 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of the display screen when the operation command is set according to the second embodiment. The process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 is stored as a program in the memory of the browser control unit 51. Here, the description of the print command is omitted.

  When an operation command transmission operation is started in the terminal device 5, first, an input screen for transmitting the operation command is displayed on the display of the operation unit 52 (step S21). In this case, as shown in FIG. 13A, on the terminal device 5, the processing is in the data collection mode, and the client information and server information input fields 52a and 52b are displayed and set as input items. In the second embodiment, since only the peripheral device 4 has a data collection function (update function, response transmission function), “CURL1” registered in advance in the client information is input and displayed in the input field 52a. The

  Further, as a support for setting server information, a search list field 52c is displayed on the display. In the search list column 52c, a search list in which the contents of the HTML file are associated with the server information SURL is displayed (step S22).

  While this list is displayed, the list can be scrolled or turned by a cursor (not shown) by operating the keys of the operation unit 52. In order to confirm the desired server information SURL, the user may select the server information SURL by operating the operation unit 52. For example, when the server information “SURL1” is selected, the browser control unit 51 confirms “SURL1” by the selection operation, and as shown in FIG. 13B, the server information input field 52b. "SURL1" is input and displayed on the screen (step S23).

  As described above, when the client information “CURL1” and the server information “SURL2” are determined in step S23, the data management information is further set (step S24). That is, when the server information input is completed in step S23, a management information input field 52d appears below the server information field, as shown in FIG. 13B. Specifically, in this input field 52d, in order to confirm the update command and the data request, the update command has a “necessary” or “no” option for update, and the data request has a periodic notification “ The “Necessary” or “No” option is displayed.

  After this display, when “necessary” for update and “necessary” for periodic notification are selected and operated, as shown in FIG. Update required, 2. Periodic notification requirements are confirmed and displayed. In addition, when the regular notification is required, the time for defining the regular notification timing is also input. In this example, “10:00 AM” is set.

  Thus, when all the input fields are filled, operation command information is created based on the client information “CURL1”, the server information “SURL1”, and the data management information (step S25). In this case, operation command information INFA (see FIG. 10A) for the client function (client control unit 41) and operation command information INFB for the server function (server control unit 43) are created (FIG. 10B). )reference). An update command UPDT is set in the operation command information INFA, and a data request RQST is set in the operation command information INFB.

  When the creation of the operation command information is completed in step S25, the required peripheral device 4 (client information is "CURL1") is accessed and the operation command information is transmitted (step S26). The transmitted operation command information is received by the client control unit 41 of the peripheral device 4.

  Next, the operation of the peripheral device 4 will be described. 14 and 15 are flowcharts for explaining an example of the client operation of the peripheral device 4 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 shows the operation at the time of access from the terminal device 5, and FIG. Shows the operation. 14 and 15 are executed in accordance with the program stored in the program memory 41a of the client control unit 41, the program stored in the program memory 43a of the server control unit 43, and the operation execution unit 47. It is controlled by a program stored in the program memory 47a. Each operation is performed by each unit.

  In the peripheral device 4, when the operation command information is received by the access from the terminal device 5, the command reception unit 44 receives the command (step S31). The server control unit 43 analyzes the received operation command information, and sends the operation command information INFA to the client control unit 41 when the operation command set at the head is “UPDT”. To do. On the other hand, when the operation command set at the head is “RQST”, the command reception unit 44 sends the operation command information INFB to the server control unit 43. Note that a request from a browser is sent via the server control unit 43 regardless of RQST and UPDT.

  The client control unit 41 interprets a client operation start command, that is, an update request, and the server control unit 43 interprets a server operation start command, that is, a data request (step S32). If it is not any data collection request, other processing is executed according to the interpreted instruction (step S33). Here, in accordance with FIG. 11, the operation command information INFA includes an update command “UPDT”, client information “CURL1”, server information “SURL1”, terminal information “TRM1”, update necessity / necessity “required”, periodic as operation commands. The notification is “necessary (10:00 AM)”.

  If the data collection request is found in step S33, the process proceeds to step S34, and if it is only a data request, a required file is searched from the data storage unit 42 (step S34). As a result, if the required file exists in the file (step S35), the file is transmitted as a response data to the terminal device 36 (step S36). That is, as shown in FIG. 11, if the response data RES1 exists, the response data RES1 is transmitted as a response.

  on the other hand. If the required file does not exist (step S35), the process proceeds to step S37, and a data request using the server information SURL1 is transmitted to the server apparatus 3 that is the data request destination. Thereafter, when there is a response from the server device 3 and response data is received, an area for the operation command information INF is provided in the data storage unit 42 as shown in FIG. 11, and the response data RES1 is stored therein. At this time, information such as whether update is necessary “necessary”, regular notification “necessary (10:00 AM)” is also stored (step S38).

  In the case of this operation command information INFA, since the regular notification is every day at 10 o'clock, data transmission in this case is performed at that time. Therefore, in the subsequent step S39, it is determined that there is no need to respond immediately, and the process ends. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, in the case of the response data RES2, since there is no designation of periodic notification, the process proceeds to step S36 and immediately transmits a response as response data.

  This series of operation statuses is continuously displayed during the data collection mode shown in FIG. 13, and the display is also terminated after printing is completed.

  Next, the data management operation will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a data management operation according to the second embodiment. The process according to the flow shown in FIG. 15 is controlled according to a program stored in the program memory 47a of the operation execution unit 47. Here again, a file having the necessity of update “necessary” and the periodic notification “necessary (10:00 AM)” illustrated in FIG. 11 is taken as an example.

  In the data management operation, first, the time is always determined according to the time measurement (step S41), and the presence of the target file to be updated at that time is determined by searching the data storage unit 42 (step S42). If it is determined in step S43 that an update target exists, the process proceeds to step S44, and the server information corresponding to the update target file, that is, SURL1 is accessed to transmit a data request. This update target corresponds to the file of the operation command information INFA registered in the data storage unit 42. If there is no file to be updated, the process proceeds to step S46.

  Thereafter, when response data is received from the server device 3, the response data is updated and registered on the data storage unit 42 as the latest file (step S45). In the subsequent step S46, a search for a file for which the time determined in the above-described step S41 is a periodic notification is performed on the data storage unit 42.

  If the current time is 10:00 in the morning, the file to be periodically notified, that is, the response data RES1 is read from the data storage unit 42 and responds to the terminal device 5 having the terminal information TRM1 as the latest information after the previous update. It is transmitted (step S48). If there is no file subject to periodic notification, the process ends.

  The contents that can benefit from the update include the contents of notification to the user about the product, the latest manual information, internal database information, software such as application programs, news, weather forecasts, stock price information, and the like. In particular, the use of internal database information can be applied to digital cameras. Specifically, it is a usage mode in which a sample to be combined with an actually captured image is held as a database, and the sample is updated as necessary. As a result, sample rubbing can be avoided.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the previous stored contents are updated using the received response data, so that the peripheral device 4 itself makes the network NET. A series of operations from data collection to information update is executed through communication with the network, so that the latest information can always be prepared on the network NET. As a result, the potential of the network NET is fully exhibited, and the artificial dependency on the network can be minimized.

  As for data update, it is sufficient to incorporate the data collection and update from where on the network NET as a program in advance. In this case, without intervention from the outside, that is, the terminal device 5 An update operation will be executed.

  In addition, since the response data already stored is transmitted in response to a data request from the network NET, the peripheral device 4 executes a series of operations from data collection to data transmission through communication with the network NET. Therefore, information can be provided on the network NET at any time.

  Since the received response data is notified to the data collection request source, the peripheral device 1 executes a series of operations from data collection to notification to the transmission source through communication with the network NET. The

(Embodiment 3)
In the first and second embodiments described above, the peripheral device operates as a client by giving an operation command to the peripheral device from the outside (for example, a terminal device). As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral device itself may collect data from its own device and supply the data to the server device.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a network communication system to which peripheral devices according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention are applied. As shown in FIG. 16, the network communication system has a configuration in which the peripheral device 6, the server device 7, and the like are connected to the network NET similar to that of the first embodiment. Actually, a plurality of peripheral devices, terminal devices, server devices, and the like are all connected, but only representatives of the peripheral device and the server device are shown for the sake of simplicity of explanation.

  The peripheral device 6 is a surveillance camera connected to the network NET via the transmission line LN6, and has a surveillance imaging function as an operation unique to the own device. That is, the peripheral device 6 has a data collection unit 63, and controls the data collection unit 63 to realize a monitoring imaging function.

  In addition, the peripheral device 6 has a client control unit 61 as a typical configuration. The client control unit 61 realizes a client function on the network NET in addition to the monitoring imaging function unique to the device. Specifically, the client control unit 61 uses a server device (for example, the server device 7) set in advance for the purpose of notifying a file collected based on the monitoring imaging function (data collecting unit 63) of the own device. Control access.

  The server device 7 is an electronic device that is connected to the network NET via a transmission line LN7 and stores database resources. The server device 7 supplies database resources required from the network NET using a server function (for example, a WWW server) prepared in advance.

  As a typical configuration, the server device 7 includes a server control unit 71 for realizing a server function and a database 72 that stores database resources. The server control unit 71 operates the server function in accordance with a request from the network NET, and receives supply of database resources to be registered in the database 72 from an external client device (peripheral device 6 or the like).

  Next, the peripheral device 6 will be described in detail. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a peripheral device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the peripheral device 6 includes a client control unit 61, a data storage unit 62, a data collection unit 63, an operation execution unit 64, a data transmission unit 65, an interface I / F 66, and the like.

  The client control unit 61 has a program memory 61a that stores a client program for performing a client function, and controls data collection and notification through communication with the network NET in accordance with the client program. In these controls, the operation of the data collection unit 63 is controlled through communication with an operation execution unit 64 described later.

  The data storage unit 62 is a storage device such as a disk that stores data to be transmitted after data collection according to control of an operation execution unit 64 described later. Specifically, what is stored in the data storage unit 62 is data to be transmitted to the server device 7 (for example, an HTML file including a monitoring image).

  The data collection unit 63 is connected to the operation execution unit 64 and executes data collection processing according to the control of the operation execution unit 64. That is, the data collection unit 63 includes an imaging unit 63A that inputs and digitizes a still image by the monitoring imaging function, and an internal data collection unit 63B that detects error information and log information that are targets of functional diagnosis or wear detection. have.

  The operation execution unit 64 includes a program memory 64a that stores an operation program for performing data collection and data storage operations including device-specific monitoring imaging. The operation execution unit 64 also executes an operation of supplying data for data transmission to the client control unit 61 according to the operation program.

  The data transmission unit 65 is connected to the interface I / F 66 and the client control unit 61, and responds to a data transmission request from the client control unit 61 via the interface NET 18 (in this embodiment, the server device 7). The transmission data is notified.

  Next, a data format for communication between the peripheral device 6 and the server device 7 will be described. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a format of transmission data according to the third embodiment. The transmission data is composed of data collected by the operation execution unit 64. As shown in FIG. 18, the format includes a data type CLSS indicating the type of collection target, server information SURL serving as a locator of an HTML file, for example, for a required server device that notifies the transmission data, and collected data It consists of a main body DT.

  Next, a data storage method in the peripheral device 6 will be described. FIG. 19 shows an example of the contents stored in the data storage unit 62 according to the third embodiment. The data storage unit 62 stores server information, periodic notification (time) information, and collected data in association with the data type.

  In this data storage unit 62, the type and collected data of the imaging unit 63A are represented by “CMR” and “CMDT”, respectively, and the type and collected data of the internal data collection unit 63B are represented by “DTC” and “DTDT”, respectively. The

  In the data storage unit 62, as an example, when the data type is “CMR”, the server device is “SURL1”, the periodic notification information is “every hour”, and the collected data is “CMDT”. The periodic notification information is set by an operation panel (not shown), and the contents thereof indicate the notification timing to the required server device. When the data type is “DTC”, the server device is “SURL1”, the periodic notification information is “every 3 hours”, and the collected data is “DTDT”.

  Next, the operation of the peripheral device 6 will be described. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the transmission operation of the peripheral device 6 according to the third embodiment. 20 is controlled by the client program stored in the program memory 61a of the client control unit 61 and the operation program stored in the program memory 64a of the operation execution unit 64.

  The following description will be given on the assumption that the periodic notification information and the data collection timing have been set in advance. However, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, both the monitoring photographing operation of the imaging unit 63A and the data collection operation of the internal data collection unit 63B are performed every time before notification in accordance with the regular notification timing. That is, the data collection operation and the periodic notification timing have an operating relationship that is linked.

  Specifically, first, the current time is determined (step S51), and it is determined whether or not the time corresponds to the periodic notification timing stored in the data storage unit 62 (step S52). At this time, each periodic notification information of a unit (one of the image capturing unit 63A and the internal data collecting unit 63B, or both) that requires a data collecting operation is referred to.

  If the current time is the periodical notification timing, the process proceeds to step S53 to operate the unit that is the target of data collection. By this operation, data collection is performed, and the collected data is stored in the data storage unit 62. That is, if the data collection target is the imaging unit 63A, the collected data is “CMDT” because it is monitoring data. On the other hand, if the data collection target is the internal data collection unit 63B, the collected data is the internal data. Therefore, “DTDT” is obtained, and the update on the data storage unit 62 is performed (step S54).

  Thereafter, the data collected in step S53 is transmitted to the required server device 7 in the format shown in FIG. 18 (step S55). At that time, the server device 7 stores the received data in the database 72 based on the server information SURL1.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the internal data of the own device, the data acquired by the operation unique to the own device, and the like are collected and stored, and the stored data is determined at a predetermined timing. Since the data is transmitted to the network NET and the storage operation and the transmission operation are comprehensively controlled, the peripheral device 6 supplies files and data in the device itself to the network NET side through communication with the network NET. It will be. As a result, it is not necessary to receive transmission requests from other terminals on the network NET, so that the potential of the network NET is fully demonstrated, and the artificial dependence on the network NET is minimized. Is possible.

  The peripheral device 6 according to the third embodiment can be applied to an electronic device capable of inputting an image, such as a scanner device, a facsimile device, and a digital camera, in addition to the monitoring camera. Some electronic devices capable of inputting this type of image require maintenance services such as color adjustment (color correction). According to the above-described third embodiment, the image input data for function diagnosis is self-imaged. It can be entered and automatically notified to the maintenance company (server device). Thus, even if the service engineer does not bother to visit the site, it is possible to receive a support service such as a failure diagnosis from the maintenance company by communication (for example, facsimile transmission).

  Further, the peripheral device 6 according to the third embodiment may be an electronic device capable of outputting an image such as a printer in addition to an electronic device capable of inputting an image. It can be used as a notification of log information (consumable replacement time, etc.).

It is a block diagram which shows the network communication system to which the peripheral device by Embodiment 1 of this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the peripheral device by Embodiment 1 of this invention. 6 is a diagram illustrating a format of an operation instruction according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of storage contents of a data storage unit according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation command transmission operation by the terminal device according to the first embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of a display screen when setting an operation command according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a client operation of a peripheral device according to the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the network communication system to which the peripheral device by Embodiment 2 of this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the peripheral device by Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the format of the operation command by Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the memory content of the data storage part by Embodiment 2. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation command transmission operation by the terminal device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of a display screen when an operation command is set according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a client operation of a peripheral device according to the second embodiment. 12 is a flowchart for explaining another example (data management operation) of a client operation of a peripheral device according to the second embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the network communication system to which the peripheral device by Embodiment 3 of this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the peripheral device by Embodiment 3 of this invention. 10 is a diagram illustrating a format of transmission data according to Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of storage contents of a data storage unit according to Embodiment 3. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a client operation of a peripheral device according to the third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1,4,6 peripheral equipment
2,5 terminal equipment
3, 7 Server device 11, 41, 61 Client control unit
12 Printing department
13,44 Instruction receiving part
14 Data request transmitter
15, 46 Response data receiving unit 16, 42, 62 Data storage unit 17, 47, 64 Operation executing unit
43 Server controller
45 Transmitter
63 Data collection unit
63A Imaging unit
63B Internal data collection unit
65 Data transmitter

Claims (1)

In an electronic device that is connected to a network that performs network communication according to a predetermined communication protocol by connecting a plurality of devices to a transmission path, and that is applied to network communication that performs operations unique to the device according to control by the network,
Request transmission means for transmitting a data request according to a command prepared in advance for the network;
Response receiving means for receiving response data corresponding to the data request transmitted by the request transmitting means;
Control means for controlling the transmission operation by the request transmission means and the reception operation by the response reception means;
An electronic device applied to network communication, comprising:

Images